CABANA, NEWCASTLE

Newcastle has a sizzling new restaurant on the scene - and it's bringing plenty of Latin spirit and flavour...

May 2016
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Hang out
Newcastle’s newest Brazilian restaurant. It’s a lively, colourful hub that takes you to a sunnier place, even on a drizzly English afternoon. Plenty of Latin spirit and beats. Grab some friends and get stuck in.

Sip
A great range of cocktails on offer, from fruity twists on the classic Caipirinha and Brazil’s answer to frozen margarita, to hard shakes, pitchers and Cabana’s own creations (all £7.95). Try a glass of Carlos The Godfather if you’re a gin-fiend in search of something refreshing, or the Red Tail Parrot if you like the bubbles. It’s packed with strawberry purée and prosecco.

Food matters
A focus on ‘true’ Brazilian dishes and flavours, from traditional snacks, sides and street food to Latin comfort food. There’s plenty of spice to be had, along with a few twists on Brazilian classics here and there.

We ate
A bowl of chunky Guaca-Molho (£4.95), spiked with the perfect amount of chilli and lemon, and unlimited corn chips, joined by the Boteco Sharing Board (£7.95), which unites traditional Brazilian bar food – things like parmesan and honey and fiery roasted nuts. For mains, it had to be the best-selling Malagueta chicken (£12.95), smothered in a sticky, spicy glaze, and the ribeye steak (£19.95), which arrived marinated in chilli and a dusting of cumin. Both meats were perfectly cooked – juicy in the middle and charred and crusty on the outside – but portion sizes were on the small side. Extras were a must and came in the form of ‘Feijoada’ fries (£5.95); sweet potato chips, topped with melted cheese and dollops of authentic beef, pork and bean feijoada – a smoky, chilli-like stew that we couldn’t get enough of. Our dining buddy settled on something light for dessert – three scoops of fresh, good-quality mango sorbet (£3.65) that took you to paradise, while we gave in to the ‘Brasilian Overload’ (£5.95) – a gluttonous mix of white and caramel chocolate chip ice cream, dark chocolate truffles and rich ‘doce de leite’ sauce. Grab a spoon and dig in with gusto – it’ll bring the sugar-loving kid out in you again.